Prime Minister Hun Sen has called on all citizens, regardless of political persuasion, to register for commune elections scheduled for July next year.

Speaking to about 4,000 graduating students yesterday at Phnom Penh’s Diamond Island, the premier said that since 2008 some 10,000 soldiers had been unable to register because of armed conflict along the Cambodia-Thai border over the disputed Preah Vihear temple area.

“I would like to appeal generally, it doesn’t matter which political party you will vote for ... you have to register and check your name on the voter list,” he said.

The premier specifically urged military personnel and monks to register.

Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Son Chhay questioned how genuine the premier’s public appeals were, which he said contradicted the Cambodian People’s Party history of rigging votes by duplicating voter names or spelling them incorrectly.

“We found improper registrations were the bad behaviour of the CPP local authorities; this continues to be a problem there has to be a mechanism to discipline people who are not respecting the process,” he said.

Son Chhay said when he checked his name on the electoral last Friday it was spelt wrong. It had the wrong birth date and the wrong address.

In the voter registration process that is running from September 1 to October 15, the National Election Committee has reported that thus far 57,094 more citizens have registered in 1,543 communes, bringing the national total to 8,894,219.